Digital Agriculture Profile: South Africa

This Digital Agriculture Profile for South Africa leverages the expertise of stakeholders to evaluate the current landscape of digital agriculture in the country, including key players across the value chains, the main barriers they face, and the potential to overcome those barriers through the adoption of innovative technologies

The Vehicle, Fall 2003

Table of Contents Blame It on My BirthsignMichael Doizanpage 4 Like a BanjoKaitlyn Kingstonpage 6 A BubbleMaria Santoyopage 7 UntitledLiz Toyntonpage 8 She Said It Was Stuck in the FenceGreg Holdenpage 11 Thanksgiving Table CharactersKrystal Heringpage 12 This Is My LandKorah Winnpage 13 Bleeding HeartsKaitlyn Kingstonpage 14 SoldierEmily Rapppage 17 HomelessLaTasha Harrispage 18 InfinitiLindsey Nawojskipage 19 Gone Until ForeverAndy Whytepage 20 On My WayKristin Bornpage 27 GloryJay Popepage 28 Untitled (1)Trevor Moorepage 29 Nature\u27s MoratoriumMatt McCarthypage 29 Untitled (2)Trevor Moorepage 30 Eternal ChildAmy Towerypage 31 FingersJosh Sopiarzpage 31 She Likes JazzMario Podeschipage 32 Back Alley FarmsScott E. Lutzpage 33 Biographiespage 35https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1078/thumbnail.jp

Expiratory airflow in late adolescence and early adulthood in individuals born very preterm or with very low birthweight compared with controls born at term or with normal birthweight : a meta-analysis of individual participant data

Background Maximal expiratory airflow peaks early in the third decade of life, then gradually declines with age. The pattern of airflow through adulthood for individuals born very preterm (at 2499 g) or at term. Methods We did a meta-analysis of individual participant data from cohort studies, mostly from the pre-surfactant era. Studies were identified through the Adults born Preterm International Collaboration and by searching PubMed and Embase (search date May 25, 2016). Studies were eligible if they reported on expiratory flow rates beyond 16 years of age in individuals born very preterm or with very low birthweight, as well as controls born at term or with normal birthweight. Studies with highly selected cohorts (eg, only participants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia) or in which few participants were born very preterm or with very low birthweight were excluded. De-identified individual participant data from each cohort were provided by the holders of the original data to a central site, where all the data were pooled into one data file. Any data inconsistencies were resolved by discussion with the individual sites concerned. Individual participant data on expiratory flow variables (FEV1, forced vital capacity [FVC], FEV1/FVC ratio, and forced expiratory flow at 25-75% of FVC [FEF25-75%]) were converted to Z scores and analysed with use of generalised linear mixed models in a one-step approach. Findings Of the 381 studies identified, 11 studies, comprising a total of 935 participants born very preterm or with very low birthweight and 722 controls, were eligible and included in the analysis. Mean age at testing was 21 years (SD 3.4; range 16-33). Mean Z scores were close to zero (as expected) in the control group, but were reduced in the very preterm or very low birthweight group for FEV1 (-0.06 [SD 1.03] vs -0.81 [1.33], mean difference -0.78 [95% CI -0.96 to -0.61], p Interpretation Individuals born very preterm or with very low birthweight are at risk of not reaching their full airway growth potential in adolescence and early adulthood, suggesting an increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in later adulthood. Copyright (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Design and implementation of a non-invasive real-time microwave sensor for assessing water hardness in heat exchangers

A non-invasive-monitoring of concentration and dielectric properties of calcium hardness in heat exchanger cooling water was conducted with a 2.5 GHz microwave cavity resonator designed and fabricated locally for the experiment. The principle of electric dipole moment theories were used to analyse the sample solution that occurs as a function of calcium ion content. Artificial difference of water hardness was prepared by mixing CaCl 2 in deionised water . The sample was centrally positioned in the electric field of the TM 010 mode of a resonant cylindrical cavity. COMSOL simulation package was used to compare and validate the experimental cavity resonator frequency. Transmission signal (S 21 ) measurements via vector network analyser at different concentrations were observed a linear relationship in amplitude with different frequency changes. In addition, calcium absorption provides a first-order change in material polarisation (i.e. real permittivity), and second-order transitions associated dielectric losses (i.e. imaginary permittivity). These research findings introduce a novel technique of real-time monitoring of water hardness concentration by using non-invasive microwave sensor. © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Grou

The E-ELT first light spectrograph HARMONI: capabilities and modes

Trabajo presentado en SPIE Astronomical Telescopes, celebrado en San Diego (California), del 26 de junio al 1 de julio de 2016HARMONI is the E-ELT's first light visible and near-infrared integral field spectrograph. It will provide four different spatial scales, ranging from coarse spaxels of 60 × 30 mas best suited for seeing limited observations, to 4 mas spaxels that Nyquist sample the diffraction limited point spread function of the E-ELT at near-infrared wavelengths. Each spaxel scale may be combined with eleven spectral settings, that provide a range of spectral resolving powers (R 3500, 7500 and 20000) and instantaneous wavelength coverage spanning the 0.5 - 2.4 ¿m wavelength range of the instrument. In autumn 2015, the HARMONI project started the Preliminary Design Phase, following signature of the contract to design, build, test and commission the instrument, signed between the European Southern Observatory and the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council. Crucially, the contract also includes the preliminary design of the HARMONI Laser Tomographic Adaptive Optics system. The instrument's technical specifications were finalized in the period leading up to contract signature. In this paper, we report on the first activity carried out during preliminary design, defining the baseline architecture for the system, and the trade-off studies leading up to the choice of baseline

REVIEW SYMPOSIUM WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN... CYBORGS

1998, Dennett, 1996, Donald, 1991, Hutchins, 1995). I begin with some background about active externalism and the two principal arguments for holding it: the parity argument and the complementarity argument. This book develops the complementarity argument. I think that both arguments are problematic. But I go on to suggest that this fascinating book provides us with preliminary grounds for endorsing a version of active externalism that is stronger and stranger than the one Clark actually defends. Active externalism is the belief that mind extends into the world, beyond the skin-and-skull boundary. Clark and Chalmers (1998) say that cognitive processes extend into the world when we use pen and paper to work something out, or when we use a computer, or even when we use language, which Clark thinks was the first technology. Also, cognitive states extend into the world when we use physical objects, or data-structures such as chips or CD-ROMs, as external memory stores. In the past, Clark has given us two reasons for subscribing to this thesis. The first (and original) reason was the parity argument: if something counts as cognitive when it is performed in the head it should also count as cognitive when it is performed in the external world. Suppose you have to rotate images of geometrical shapes on a computer screen. You can rotate them using a neural implant in your head, or you can rotate them using a ‘rotate ’ button in the world. Presumably we will say that the implant case is cognitive – so why isn’t the button case cognitive as well? Clark and Chalmers say tha

Chocolate Milk versus carbohydrate supplements in adolescent athletes: a field based study

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study is to translate laboratory-based research on beverage-based supplements to a naturalistic, field setting in adolescent athletes. To this end, we tested the effects of two commercially-available drinks on strength in a field-based setting with both male and female high school athletes completing a summer training program. Methods One hundred and three high school athletes completed the study (M age = 15.3, SD = 1.2; 70.9% male; 37.9% Afr. Amer.). Measures included a composite strength score (bench press + squat). Participants completed 1 week of pre- and post-testing, and 4 days per week of strength and conditioning training for 5 weeks. Participants were randomly-assigned to receive either CM or CHO immediately post-exercise. Results A 2 (group) × 2 (time) repeated measures ANOVA showed there was a significant main effect on time for increase in the composite strength score (p = .002, ŋp2 = .18). There was a significant interaction of composite strength score between groups, (p = .04, ŋp2 = .08). The CM group (12.3% increase) had significantly greater improvements in composite strength from pre- to post-test than CHO (2.7% increase). There were no differences in these results based on demographic variables. Conclusion This is the first study comparing the impact of CM and CHO on athletic outcomes in an adolescent population in a field-based environment. CM had a more positive effect on strength development and should be considered an appropriate post-exercise recovery supplement for adolescents. Future research will benefit from longer study durations with larger numbers of participants

Harps-N: the new planet hunter at TNG

The Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG)[9] hosts, starting in April 2012, the visible spectrograph HARPS-N. It is based on the design of its predecessor working at ESO's 3.6m telescope, achieving unprecedented results on radial velocity measurements of extrasolar planetary systems. The spectrograph's ultra-stable environment, in a temperature-controlled vacuum chamber, will allow measurements under 1 m/s which will enable the characterization of rocky, Earth-like planets. Enhancements from the original HARPS include better scrambling using octagonal section fibers with a shorter length, as well as a native tip-tilt system to increase image sharpness, and an integrated pipeline providing a complete set of parameters. Observations in the Kepler field will be the main goal of HARPS-N, and a substantial fraction of TNG observing time will be devoted to this follow-up. The operation process of the observatory has been updated, from scheduling constraints to telescope control system. Here we describe the entire instrument, along with the results from the first technical commissioning